Iranian cleric Alireza Arafi delivered his first public comments since being appointed to the country’s temporary leadership council, saying he hopes a new supreme leader will be selected “quickly,” according to remarks aired on state television.
Arafi is serving on the interim leadership body alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. He said government institutions continue operating “under these extremely difficult circumstances.”
In 2019 Arafi led the crowd chanting, “Death to America, Death to England!”
Fighting widened Monday, with Israel striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and Tehran launching missiles and drones toward Israel, Gulf states, and a British air base in Cyprus. The U.S. military said Kuwait’s air defenses mistakenly shot down three American F-15E fighter jets during an Iranian attack. All six crew members were safely recovered.
Sources: The Times of Israel / Reuters
